Apparatus and methods for self-administration of vaccines and other medicaments

Abstract

A medicament delivery device includes a housing, a medicament container disposed within the housing, an activation mechanism, a cover and an electronic circuit system. The activation mechanism includes an energy storage member configured to produce a force to deliver the dose of a medicament and/or vaccine. The cover is configured to receive at least a portion of the housing. The electronic circuit system is coupled to the housing such that a protrusion of the cover electrically isolates a battery from a portion of the electronic circuit system when the portion of the housing is received by the cover. The electronic circuit system is configured to be electrically coupled to the battery and to produce a recorded speech output when the portion of the housing is at least partially removed from the cover. The electronic circuit system configured to produce a signal when the activation mechanism is actuated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a medicament delivery device configured to deliver a medicament, the medicament delivery device including a first housing and a medicament container, a distal end portion of the medicament container including a delivery member through which the medicament is conveyed, a side wall of the first housing defining an interior volume within which the distal end portion of the medicament container is movably disposed;   a second housing of the medicament delivery device formed separately from the first housing, the second housing including a connection portion configured to be matingly coupled to a corresponding portion of the first housing; and   an electronic circuit system coupled to the second housing, the electronic circuit system including a switch, an audible output device and a wireless network interface device, the electronic circuit system configured to produce an audible output via the audible output device when the switch is changed from a first state to a second state, the electronic circuit system configured to receive an actuation signal associated with an actuation of the medicament delivery device, the electronic circuit system configured to output, via the wireless network interface device, a wireless signal associated with the actuation signal.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second housing is a container defining a volume within which the medicament delivery device can be disposed, 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the container includes a lid configured to cover the volume when the lid is in a first position, the volume being exposed to allow access to the medicament delivery device when the lid is in a second position, the switch configured to be actuated when the lid is moved from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the medicament delivery device is a single-use autoinjector. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal includes information that, when received by a remote computing device, causes the remote computing device to send a location signal associated with a location associated with the medicament delivery device. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the wireless signal is a first wireless signal; and   the electronic circuit system includes a temperature sensor, the electronic circuit system configured to transmit, via the wireless network interface, a second wireless signal, the second wireless signal being a short-range radio frequency signal indicating a temperature of the medicament delivery device.   
     
     
         7 . A method, comprising:
 removing a medical injector from a container such that a switch of an electronic circuit system is actuated, the electronic circuit system producing a first signal when the switch is actuated, the first signal being a short-range radio frequency signal indicating that the medical injector has been removed from the container, and   moving an actuator of the medical injector from a first actuator position to a second actuator position to initiate delivery of a medicament into a body, the actuator coupled to the electronic circuit system such that the electronic circuit system outputs a second signal when the actuator is moved from the first actuator position to the second actuator position.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the switch is a first switch, the method further comprising:
 moving, before the removing the medical injector, a lid of the container to allow access to the medical injector within the container, the lid actuating a second switch in response to the moving the lid, the electronic circuit system producing a third signal when the second switch is actuated.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the container includes a side wall defining a volume within which a medical injector is disposed, the medical injector in contact with a portion of the side wall when the medical injector is within the volume; and   the second switch is disposed within the volume and extends from the side wall of the container.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the electronic circuit system is coupled to the container and includes a light output device, an audible output device, and a wireless communication module;   the first signal being at least one of a visual output from the light output device or an audible output from the audible output device; and   the second signal being produced by the wireless communication module.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the actuator is coupled a distal end portion of the medical injector. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the switch is a first switch; and   the actuator including a protrusion that actuates a second switch when the actuator moves towards the second actuator position.   
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 moving a lid of a container from a first position to a second position such that a first switch of an electronic circuit system is actuated when the lid moves from the first position to the second position, the lid configured to cover a volume of the container when the lid is in the first position, the volume being exposed to allow access to a medical injector when the lid is in the second position, the electronic circuit system configured to produce a first signal when the first switch is actuated;   removing the medical injector from the container such that a second switch of the electronic circuit system is actuated, the electronic circuit system configured to produce a second signal when the second switch is actuated, the second signal being a short-range radio frequency signal indicating that the medical injector has been removed from the container; and   moving an actuator of the medical injector from a first actuator position to a second actuator position to initiate the delivery of a medicament into a body, the electronic circuit system outputting a third signal when the actuator is moved from the first actuator position to the second actuator position.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the electronic circuit system is coupled to the container and includes a light output device, an audible output device, and a wireless communication module;   the first signal being at least one of a visual output from the light output device or an audible output from the audible output device; and   at least one of the second signal or the third signal being produced by the wireless communication module.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the wireless communication module includes at least one of a microprocessor, a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, or a radio chipset. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the electronic circuit system produces the second signal to include information that, when received by a remote computing device, causes the remote computing device to send a location signal associated with a location associated with the container.